Survival
by rideofthevalkyrjur
Summary: When Morro is rescued by the Elemental Alliance, he must choose whether or not to continue his search for the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master or join the Alliance in their war against the Serpentine. At the same time, he learns something about his Sensei's family that he formerly didn't know, all while uncovering the story of his own forgotten past. CURRENTLY ON HIATUS!
1. Prologue

**Fandom** \- Ninjago

 **Summary** \- When Morro is rescued by the Elemental Alliance, he must choose whether or not to continue his search for the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master or join the Alliance in their war against the Serpentine. At the same time, he learns something about his Sensei's family that he formerly didn't know, all while uncovering the story of his own forgotten past.

 **Rating** \- K+ for light descriptions of wounds and violence. No sex, no swearing.

 **Characters** \- Morro, Ray, Maya, Garmadon, Wu, Elemental Masters, and OCs

* * *

 _PROLOGUE_

 _"Someone's here! Hurry, Maya, we have to hold back the explosion!"_

 _The sounds of voices and footsteps rang in the young boy's ears as his dirty fingers gripped the rocks. He felt faint and dizzy, his chest aching, his skin burning but still freezing cold on the inside._

 _He knew that hot ash and sparks had been flying onto his body for the past... the amount of time was uncertain. And yet he couldn't feel anything. Not even the touch of hands gripping his arms as he was lifted from the ground._

 _There was a crackle in the distance as fire and water worked to keep him alive—one controlling it and the other stopping it._

 _"We can't hold it anymore!" another voice shouted._

 _"I have him—" this one was closer to his ears – "Let's get out of here before the whole place blows."_

 _He felt his brain rattling around in his head as something... no, he was being carried._

 _The voices and footsteps faded, as did the bright orange glow in the background. Soon, there was nothing but silent darkness._


	2. Chapter 1

**Fandom** \- Ninjago

 **Summary** \- When Morro is rescued by the Elemental Alliance, he must choose whether or not to continue his search for the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master or join the Alliance in their war against the Serpentine. At the same time, he learns something about his Sensei's family that he formerly didn't know, all while uncovering the story of his own forgotten past.

 **Rating** \- K+ for light descriptions of wounds and violence. No sex, no swearing.

 **Characters** \- Morro, Ray, Maya, Garmadon, Wu, Elemental Masters, and OCs

* * *

 _CHAPTER ONE_

The first thing Morro noticed was a heartbeat- a quiet _th-thump_ deep within his chest. It started out unsteadily, then slowly grew stronger until it was deafening. Then his sense of smell returned to the stench of singed hair and burnt flesh, overlaid with the sweeter, soft scent of healing herbs.

He didn't open his eyes yet, his eyelids feeling far too heavy and sore to exert the effort needed to move them. But he must have made some sort of sound, because the next thing he heard was the sound of footsteps approaching, and a female voice saying, "I think he's awake."

There was a light touch to his cheek. "Can you hear me?" the same voice said softly.

Morro's brows knit a little bit and he gave a very small nod of his head.

Now, he forced his eyes to open a sliver. The world outside was blurry and altogether too bright. It was a mix of reds and whites that made him dizzy. He gave a soft groan and closed his eyes again.

"Shh, it's alright. Here, drink this. It will help." Morro felt a hand lifting the back of his head and something touched his lips. The smell that hit his nose was one that was all too familiar—it was an herbal tea, like the kind he used to drink with Sensei.

"Ginger and Peppermint," he murmured softly, taking a sip of the tea. It felt good on his aching throat.

"Um... yes... it is."

Morro opened his eyes again, now blinking a little bit. It still hurt, but it wasn't so bad now. Actual shapes began swimming into his vision as the cup of tea was pulled away from him. A young woman with black hair and tanned skin was sitting next to him. He was inside a tent—he could tell that much from the size of the interior, and from the color and shape of the walls.

"I... where am I? What happened?" he asked, his voice scratching against his sore throat.

"You're in an Elemental Alliance camp," the woman replied. "We just rescued you from the Caves of Despair. We got word of a group of Serpentine planning to attack a village in there, but evidently the news was false."

"It wasn't all wasted, though," another voice spoke up, this one male. Morro turned to see a young man who was about the age of the woman enter the tent. "We found you just before the kethanol geyser killed you."

Morro frowned a little. Kethanol geyser? Caves of Despair?

Slowly, the memories of what had gone on began to return to him. He'd been searching for the tomb... Garmadon had told him it was there, deep inside the caves. Then he'd come to a bright chamber. He'd thought he'd found it—it had just been so different from the rest of the caves, it looked so much more dangerous. He'd been sure he'd be able to find a way to the tomb from there. But he hadn't. Evidently, he'd been in the gaseous chamber for far too long. He vaguely remembered collapsing. Morro closed his eyes again. He'd been tricked. Sent to die. The tomb wasn't in the Caves of Despair. Why would it be in a place with a name like that anyway?

"Uhh..." he groaned, tilting his head slightly. "I... what's wrong with me?"

"You inhaled a lot of gas," the woman replied. "But I think you'll be alright. What's your name?"

He blinked, slowly. Finally, his eyes were adjusting to the outside world. "It's Morro," he rasped. Now he had a closer look at the two in the tent with him. The woman seemed at most five or six years older than him, while the man was just a little older than that. The woman was actually quite pretty, her long black hair freely resting against her shoulders and her blue eyes seemed intelligent and kind. The man's hair was deep red-brown and spiked up, and his eyes were dark and almost playful. He had a thin mustache and beard. She had on blue robes, and he wore red. Both were decorated with kanji. Morro frowned a little. Hers was the symbol for water, his for fire... Hadn't they said something about an Elemental Alliance?

"You're... you're elemental masters," he whispered, his eyes widening just a bit.

The two of them nodded. "I'm Ray, master of Fire, and this is Maya, Master of Water." The man introduced them.

A small smile quirked onto the edges of Morro's face. "I... I didn't know there were others," he said softly. "I'm the master of Wind."

They turned to look at one another, then at Morro. The boy watched them with a growing frown, uncertain if he should have said anything—after all, the last time he'd said anything about who he was, he'd gotten sent to his death. That Garmadon... Morro hadn't even done anything wrong! Why had he wanted to kill him? Maybe he really knew the tomb's true location and just didn't want to tell some kid where to find his father's tomb. But why try to have him killed then?

"What's wrong?" Ray asked, jolting Morro back to the present.

"I... nothing," he croaked. "Could I have more tea?"

Maya nodded and held the cup to his lips. He drank it down quickly, the warm liquid coating his throat. He closed his eyes and sighed. His eyes still stung, probably from the ash. That wasn't the only problem though. By now, the pain had begun to return, now that the initial shock of actually being alive had passed. Not to mention the fact that, despite the warm tea, he still felt cold inside. Come to think of it, he'd felt that way ever since he'd left Garmadon's camp to head to the Caves of Despair... but not as bad as it was now.

"I... I'm not feeling well," he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut now. "Could I... could I sleep?"

Maya nodded, a frown creasing her expression. "Of course. We'll let you rest."

Morro listened as their footsteps retreated, and then relaxed into the cot he lay in. Certainly, his life had been saved. But what now? He was no closer to finding the tomb than when he'd started, and in his current condition, he doubted he'd be ready to search for it any time soon. But what was all of this? Serpentine attacks? The Elemental Alliance? There were other elemental masters? How many were there?

As these questions ran through his mind, he finally drifted off to sleep. His body still needed time to heal.


	3. Chapter 2

**Fandom** \- Ninjago

 **Summary** \- When Morro is rescued by the Elemental Alliance, he must choose whether or not to continue his search for the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master or join the Alliance in their war against the Serpentine. At the same time, he learns something about his Sensei's family that he formerly didn't know, all while uncovering the story of his own forgotten past.

 **Rating** \- K+ for light descriptions of wounds and violence. No sex, no swearing.

 **Characters** \- Morro, Ray, Maya, Garmadon, Wu, Elemental Masters, and OCs

* * *

 _CHAPTER TWO_

Morro woke to the sound of a painfully familiar voice. It was an even, deep timber, one that resembled his Sensei's in several ways but differed in others. The sound itself sent chills racing down his spine. This wasn't just any voice—it was Garmadon. The man that had tried to kill him, and luckily failed.

"We need to hurry. The Serpentine are attacking Stiix. This whole thing was just a hoax to weaken our forces!" he was shouting.

Morro grit his teeth together and pushed himself up, pain slicing through his body as healing wounds were stretched and aching muscles strained back to life. He pushed the blanket aside, dragging his legs over so that his feet were set on the floor. It hurt a lot—but Morro wasn't weak. He'd felt pain before, and he could endure it once again. As soon as weight came onto his feet, he hissed in pain. Evidently, the bottoms of his feet had been burned, but luckily for him they'd already mostly healed.

"Garmadon, hold on," came Ray's voice, "We did find someone in the Caves of Despair. He was trapped in a chamber with a kethanol geyser, says he's the Master of Wind. But he's still very injured."

"Master of Wind?" Garmadon's voice faltered.

Morro staggered toward the tent flap, stumbling to his knees just as he reached out a bandaged hand to take the flap in his hand and push it aside. He grunted, a soft whimper in the back of his throat as he landed on his other hand. He blinked away tears and then reached up, pulling the flap aside. The sunlight hurt his eyes yet again and he squinted. Sure enough, it was the same man that had sheltered him for a night before sending him off to die... what, a few months ago? Morro wasn't sure how long it had been since he'd started his trip to the caves.

Once his eyes got used to the sun, he looked more closely over Garmadon. The man was dressed a little differently, but Morro noticed an expression of shock on his face. Shock that he'd survived. The teen was surprised that he wasn't retaliating against the Elemental Alliance for rescuing him... of course, Garmadon probably could have just killed him. Maybe he preferred sneakier tactics. Maybe Morro should warn Ray and Maya about him...

Suddenly he gasped as the man's eyes flashed toward him. They made eye contact for a brief moment—and Morro was shocked to see that Garmadon seemed less angry and more... afraid?

What sense did that make?

He turned back to Ray. "There's no time. We need to regroup," he said, his voice almost sharp. "You can bring the Master of Wind with us, can't you?"

Ray frowned. "I... I guess we can."

"Then it's settled. We need to leave now."

Morro swallowed. He'd thought he was safe. Now he was in a camp with a man who just tried to kill him. He recalled the glowing green scar left on his chest. He hadn't had it before... Garmadon had to have done something to him. But what? He let the flap fall back down and practically dragged himself back to the bed, coughing and wincing as he curled his knees against his chest beneath the blanket. His blood was rushing in his ears and making his head pound. It was very painful...

"Morro, are you alright?" Maya asked, and he startled a little, turning his head over to look at her.

Should he say something? Should he tell her how Garmadon had tried to have him killed? No, he couldn't , not now when the Serpentine were attacking. He'd wait. He gave a little nod. "There... there was a commotion outside," he rasped out. "I wanted to see what was going on."

She rested a cool hand on his forehead. "You shouldn't have gotten up. Come on, lie back. We have to leave. We'll carry your cot." She propped his head on the pillow, untangling his limbs so that he lay flat on his back. Morro's brow was knitted, and he was worried. He couldn't let his guard down now. Not with Garmadon around. Of all people, it was Garmadon that he feared the most now. But still... why? Why had he tried to kill him?

Morro felt a stinging sensation in his eyes of hot tears. He hadn't done anything. He hadn't hurt him at all.

Lost in his thoughts, he barely noticed as the camp was packed up around him and his cot was lifted from the ground. Time seemed to pass in a sluggish but surprisingly swift pace.

When he finally opened his eyes, Morro gasped and shrank away—he saw Garmadon's face over him. His green eyes widened a little bit in fear and he stared at the man, but soon Garmadon vanished from his field of view. Once again there was a hint of fear reflected in the other's own brown eyes. Why was he afraid?

The sway of the cot and the sound of footsteps made Morro feel like drifting off to sleep. His head was still aching and his body still felt sore and raw in places, but he was tired. He tried his best not to sleep, though. He didn't feel safe sleeping around Garmadon... after all, that was when the green scar had happened.

He fought sleep, and he fought it valiantly, but his senses were still a little fuzzy from the gas and he was still weak and wounded. Before too long, he'd lost the battle with sleep and drifted off into nothingness.

It only lasted what seemed like a few moments before he woke again and realized how uncomfortable it was to be bobbing along like this on a dusty road. He blinked twice, then looked over to one side. They were still walking. The sun had risen higher now and it was getting hot. He gave a slight whimper as its rays felt like they were burning the skin of his face.

"Shh, don't worry. We'll stop soon. You can rest at the camp," another voice spoke up, this time one that Morro didn't recognize. He closed his eyes again and tilted his head sideways, shivering slightly despite the heat. That creeping cold in his chest, which had faded slightly for a little while, was returning now. It started just above his heart and then stretched from there through his torso and along his arms and legs and finally to his head, until he was cold all through. He didn't know what it was, but he was pretty sure it had something to do with that odd green scar. When he could talk for more than a few sentences without his throat aching, he would ask about that. That is, if he survived that long.


	4. Chapter 3

**Fandom** \- Ninjago

 **Summary** \- When Morro is rescued by the Elemental Alliance, he must choose whether or not to continue his search for the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master or join the Alliance in their war against the Serpentine. At the same time, he learns something about his Sensei's family that he formerly didn't know, all while uncovering the story of his own forgotten past.

 **Rating** \- K+ for light descriptions of wounds and violence. No sex, no swearing.

 **Characters** \- Morro, Ray, Maya, Garmadon, Wu, Elemental Masters, and OCs

* * *

 _CHAPTER THREE_

Morro stared into the mirror, leaning forward slightly as he examined his own face. He had dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep and he was extremely pale, but that wasn't what was worrying him.

Slender fingers brushed his right cheek, but only the edges. The rest was scarred. It was angry and red and glaring, the raised, bumpy skin sticking out on his pale features like white on black. He hadn't known he'd been scarred until now. This wasn't the only one, either. Smaller scars littered his body. His arms and legs were the worst, but there were still others on his face. The Master of Wind didn't know what to think of this, exactly.

He'd not really ever cared what he looked like. And yet something about these scars just disturbed him. He didn't even look like himself anymore... did he? No, that wasn't it. He was definitely still recognizable. The hand scars were one thing, but the scars on his face? It made him look somehow changed.

Marred. Less than perfect.

That was it.

Morro needed to be perfect. He needed to be the best. Even though Wu had always been understanding of his faults, Morro himself couldn't accept them. He'd lived too long on the bottom rung of the ladder to let himself be brought down again. Scars and disfigurements were symbols of shame—he knew. He'd seen people be shunned for their appearance, if it was less than perfect. Morro couldn't stand any more rejection. He leaned closer so that his nose was almost touching the mirror.

It had been a few days since they'd arrived in the camp outside of Stiix. Maya had stayed with him at first, but once Morro seemed to be a little healed and out of danger she'd gone to join the fight in the city, leaving food and water next to his cot. Now, he had regained enough strength to stand and his lungs had cleared from the gas and dust. Aside from the burns, and the cold feeling in his chest, he was feeling almost recovered.

Probably the addition of food and drink had helped that. He didn't know how long he'd wandered the caves after his supplies had run out. All he knew was that he'd been travelling long enough for a war to start. It had to have been a while.

He'd been alone in the camp for a while now, probably two days or so. Just now, he'd gotten out of bed to see about refilling his water pitcher and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. The scars had admittedly shocked him. He hadn't been expecting that. Of course, he should have—he'd been trapped in a burning chamber after all, hadn't he? It was almost a given that he'd been burned. And burning left scars. It was simple, and yet... so hard for him to grasp at the same time.

The sound of approaching footsteps was lost on his ears as he continued to familiarize himself with the scars. The smaller ones seemed to have almost healed, but the larger one didn't look quite so good. Yet another thing he'd have to ask about, along with the scar on his chest. All of this was Garmadon's fault. Why had he ever trusted that man? Just because he was his Sensei's brother, that didn't mean he was a good person! Master Wu was a good person. Garmadon... Garmadon was wicked. Morro's fists clenched slightly. If he could only get Garmadon alone once he was fully recovered... he'd teach him to mess with a ninja.

"Morro?"

Suddenly, the boy completely froze. That voice... he knew it so well... It couldn't be...

No, this was horrible! He couldn't see him again, not so soon, not without finding the tomb or even knowing anything about its whereabouts! And yet, did that really matter? He'd nearly died... he'd nearly died and the last words he would have said to his Sensei would have been words of anger.

Nothing seemed to matter for a minute. Morro forgot all about his Sensei's betrayal and stubborn insistence that Destiny hadn't chosen him. He forgot about the prophecy altogether. Sensei was his only family. The only person who'd ever cared about him. Morro turned away from the mirror, his eyes shining with tears, and broke out into an unsteady jog, throwing himself into Wu's arms and wrapping his own around his waist.

"Sensei!" he sniffed, hugging him tightly. "I'm sorry I got so angry... I'm sorry I said such horrible things to you..."

Wu wrapped his arms around his wayward student, tucking him against him.

"It is alright, Morro. You're forgiven. You've always been forgiven. I heard what happened... I'm just glad you're alive now."

Morro couldn't help but smile just a little, through his tears, as his Sensei hugged him. Wu was the only father he'd ever known. As angry as Morro was, as upset as he'd been that the weapons hadn't chosen him, he couldn't help but care for him. Wu was still more important to him than anyone else in the world. That's why he wanted so much to impress him, to prove he could be the green ninja.

But Wu's brother had tried to kill him. Did he know? Had Garmadon told him? Had Garmadon told anyone about it, or had he lied, or had he pretended he didn't know anything at all about Morro and why he was in the caves of despair?

Wu hadn't ever talked about his brother, not really. He may have mentioned it once, but Morro had forgotten that mention if it even existed.

"I... I'm glad you're here," Morro responded. He wouldn't say anything about Garmadon yet. Not now, not when they'd just reunited again. Morro finally took a step back several moments later and took in a deep breath. He looked down at the floor, then up at Wu, and then said quietly, "I almost died. I was... I was scared. I realize now that I shouldn't have been so horrible when I left."

Wu smiled and rested a hand on his shoulder. "I have already said you are forgiven. Will you come back home now?"

It was tempting. It was very tempting to let go of his quest for the tomb, to go back to the monastery with his teacher... but not tempting enough. Morro had vowed he would find it. His expression hardened and he looked down. "I'm sorry, Sensei," he said, still in a soft tone. "I have to keep my word." Morro didn't need to look up to see Wu's expression darken with grief and to instantly feel like something inside him had broken.

He couldn't give up now, just because he followed one lost trail. He wouldn't fail again, he wouldn't trust the word of anyone blindly like he had with Garmadon. Morro put out one hand and rested it on Wu's arm. "Don't worry. I won't be foolish like I was this last time. I'll be careful. And I _will_ find it. Then, you can give me the green gi, I can come back to the monastery, and you can keep training me."

The reply didn't seem to make Sensei any happier, but Morro quickly pushed the thoughts aside and sighed, still looking at the ground. Sensei didn't understand... he _couldn't_ give up.

"I'll stay here with you in the camp, though," he told him. "Just... I can't go back there. Not yet." To go back would be to fail. To be less than perfect. And that was something that Morro just couldn't accept.


	5. Chapter 4

_CHAPTER FOUR_

"Morro, you must focus. If you combine your wind with Ray's fire, it can create a far greater flame, but you cannot try to do it all by yourself," Morro grunted a little as his Sensei's staff struck the top of his arm, and he lowered his hands to his sides, looking across at the other elemental master, then up at Wu, a frown on his face.

"But, Sensei, why can't I just create a vortex and hold them in place?" he protested, crossing his arms.

Wu shook his head. "Because you are strong alone. And yet, alone, there are many ways in which you can be weak. Wind can be stopped by earth, but together, they are stronger. All of the elements need to work together, or else their weak points can be exploited and they can all be defeated." He took a few steps back, to the now-dead campfire where a few sticks were left. He took one of them and carried it over to Morro. "I want you to break this," he held it out, and Morro frowned, reaching for the stick and taking it from him.

"Alright," he said, a question in his voice, and snapped the twig. "That's easy."

Wu nodded. "Exactly. But, would you mind bringing me a few more of those?" he asked, and Morro nodded. He took a light stance, curling his fingers slightly and moving the rest of the pile of sticks toward them before dropping them on the ground. Wu bent down and picked them up, tying the ends together with string. He then handed the bundle to Morro, who raised an eyebrow before suddenly realizing what he was doing.

"I see what you are trying to teach me, Sensei," he said quietly. "I won't be able to break them all together like this." He placed his hands at the edges of the bundle and then handed it back to Wu. Then, Morro stood back a few paces.

He leapt into the air, flattening his hand and turning it as he descended. There was a crack as he struck the bundle of sticks and shattered them, his landing sending clouds of dust flying in every direction.

When it settled, the Master of Wind let his hand come back to his side and stood again at his full height. "Certainly, we're stronger together, but in the face of enough force, even the strongest team can break. But a single rod of metal is stronger than any bundle of sticks." His voice was melancholy, and he turned away. "I think I'll go sit down."

Why was Wu doing this? Morro didn't need anyone but himself. He never had. He was a survivor, he could always get what he needed, he wasn't afraid of anything. Why would he need a team? Other people were unreliable. Other people let you down and lied to you and betrayed you. If all Morro needed was himself, he'd never have to worry about being betrayed by others. He would be stronger on his own. After all, wasn't he just a little bit more than some stick? He was an elemental master, he would be the Green Ninja, he'd single-handedly defeat evil someday, why would he need a team?

Suddenly, he spun around, feeling the back of his neck prickle as if he were being watched. Sure enough, his eyes widened as he saw Garmadon standing next to a grindstone and sharpening a katana. The brown-haired man was watching him closely, an unreadable expression on his face.

Morro looked away. His muscles tensed and his fists clenched. How was Wu so blind? His brother was clearly up to something and clearly dangerous, and yet he was in the camp, not even being watched. Wu wasn't even concerned! Morro turned, walking away from the main area and sitting on a rock just outside the camp. His brows furrowed, he swirled his hand over the ground, creating a small tornado among the leaves. It was a calming habit of his, and used very little of his energy to do.

Ray watched him as he left and then turned to Wu. "He's powerful for his age," he said. "I didn't even discover my powers until I was as old as he is."

Wu pressed his lips together. "Yes, Morro is special. His elemental powers have always come easily. He can use them and unlock them with very, very little effort. But he has much to learn still. He is strong, but in turmoil." He sighed, resting his hands on his staff as he watched the teen continue swirling the leaves.

After a few moments, Morro rose to his feet, standing on top of the rock and extending his hands down and in front of him, palms outward. He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. There was a low whoosh as a swirl of wind whirled up beneath him, raising his feet from the ground and causing him to hover. He fought the urge to tense up and instead relaxed, causing the air above him to form into a vortex as well. Soon, he was hovering around ten feet up, or something near that.

Now, he opened his eyes, turning his hands a little and looking down at the ground beneath. The other elemental masters were watching him. Morro smiled, then began lessening the strength of the vortexes so that he landed lightly on the ground. There was silence all around. The smile disappeared from his face.

"I was just practicing that," he muttered, turning away again.

Wu gave a heavy sigh. Morro still had so far to go. He walked toward his student, putting a hand on his arm. "Calm down, Morro. We can continue training. If you're going to be a part of the elemental alliance, you must learn to be part of it. The only way we will be able to defeat the Serpentine is if we work together."

Morro pushed his hand away. "Sensei, we're going to be fighting. We have to train for combat too. You always said I can't just rely on my element."

"Yes, I did say that. But you must learn to sharpen your elemental powers as well."

Morro rolled his eyes. "Well maybe you should tell that to everyone else too," he snapped. "It's like working with beginners! I'll never reach my full potential if I'm never going to find a foe that is even half as strong as I am!"

"You want to fight someone stronger than you?" Morro froze as he heard _that_ voice from behind him, and he spun around, his eyes widening. Garmadon was standing across the training area, staff in his hands now. His eyes had a glint to them that Morro really didn't like.

The teen swallowed hard, glancing over at Wu, who seemed slightly concerned, but not very concerned.

Garmadon wouldn't actually kill him in front of his brother, would he? That would be ridiculous. Garmadon seemed more like the sneaky type. Besides, this was the perfect chance to get even. At his full strength Morro was fairly certain he could take anyone.

Morro narrowed his eyes, squaring up and placing his palms together as he faced his attempted killer.

"I'll fight you."


	6. Chapter 5

_**Quick Author's Note Time. I'd like to thank**_ **ninjachief547** ** _for their review! As for everyone else reading this story, please,_** _ **please, please review! I want to know what you all think. And if you have any suggestions, the plot as of now is fairly open-ended with only a very basic structure thought out, so any ideas are welcome. *Lord Garmadon Voice* "Don't be shy! No bad ideas!"**_

 _ **That's all for now! Enjoy the fite chapter!**_

 _CHAPTER FIVE_

Morro and Garmadon faced one another across the training area. The entire camp had fallen into dead silence as the boy faced a clear master. Morro's fists clenched at his sides as he cast a brief look around him. He saw their faces, shocked and confused, as they watched the two of them. Masters of more elements than Morro had ever even heard about were surrounding them now, watching them. Watching him. He couldn't fail this time. He couldn't let Garmadon kill him, nor could he kill Garmadon. Only defeat him. Maybe then he wouldn't have to find the tomb. Maybe if he defeated a Master, Wu would see that he really was the green ninja.

"Garmadon, this isn't wise. Morro is young, and he is still recovering from his wounds," Wu stepped forward, a hand extended. "You cannot challenge him, not now."

"No!" Morro snapped, spinning to face Wu. "I have to do this. You don't understand." His eyes narrowed, and he pivoted an arm outward, pushing Wu back with a gust of wind.

Morro had to fight this fight. He had to make things right, to restore balance. Garmadon had gotten the upper hand on him once, but only by tricking him. Now, Morro would face him in a fair fight, and he would defeat him. He had to. Garmadon needed to know that Morro, Master of Wind and future green ninja, wouldn't be trifled with.

"Shall we begin?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow and readying his staff.

Morro nodded, pressing his lips together tightly. He took in a deep breath, closing his eyes for a few seconds, and then opened them, taking up a stance, placing one foot in front of the other and holding his palms parallel to one another. There was a whistling sound as a contained gust of wind formed between his hands. But he wouldn't let anger control him. He'd wait to see what Garmadon's first move will be. That would keep Garmadon from doing the same with him.

Once again, everything was still. Wu's expression was strained, but Morro didn't notice. His own gaze was far too fixed upon Garmadon to notice anything else. It was just him and Garmadon now, no one else existed, nothing else existed.

The entire universe was holding its breath, as though the simple sparring challenge was a battle that the fate of the universe depended on. Or maybe that was just inside Morro's head. It was certainly the most important battle he'd ever fought, if not one that had much of a lasting effect on the world.

His muscles wanted to tense, but Morro fought to keep himself relaxed. He had to be fluid like the air around him to properly wield his element. It was a universal rule for an elemental master—they had to become their element, or else their use of it would be stunted. And Morro was quite certain he'd need to be at full strength for this. Perhaps Garmadon would try to kill him, and simply excuse it as a horrible accident... perhaps...

He had no more time to think, because Garmadon chose that moment of the briefest distraction to make his first attack. Morro quickly unleashed a gust to drive him back, but Garmadon slid beneath it. Morro dropped to the ground, tumbling to avoid a strike of Garmadon's staff, quickly climbing back to his feet. No use in holding back now. To defeat Garmadon, he needed to be aggressive. He clenched his fists and opened them, feeling the air bending to his will around him and sending a small cyclone spinning toward his opponent. Garmadon tried to strike it down, but Morro was extremely pleased to see that he was pushed back a little bit.

His pleasure was short-lived. Garmadon drew one foot back and suddenly he was doing Spinjitzu, rushing toward him in a blur of purple. Morro gasped, jumping upward over Garmadon, sending a few rapid gusts hurtling toward him as he flipped over to land on his feet on the opposite side.

Morro's eyes widened as he saw Garmadon's Spinjitzu falter and die, sending him staggering. So... spinjitzu was useless against the power of wind. That was good to know. Garmadon made to attack him again, but this time he was ready, and darted to the side at the last minute, thrusting his palm outward with a _whoosh_ to strike Garmadon with another blow as he went past him.

But Morro too had underestimated, and Garmadon had foreseen that move. Morro felt an impact in his back as Garmadon swung his staff around and struck him in the back. He fell forward and tucked into a roll, travelling farther than he would have otherwise. There was an ache where he'd been struck, but he ignored it, standing up to face Garmadon again.

He placed one foot behind him and one in front and sent coils of wind flying toward his opponent, teeth clenched together, still fighting to stay relaxed so that the wind would be stronger. There was a purple glow as Garmadon drew his hand back, and Morro's eyes widened. A bolt of dark lightning was launched toward him and he barely had time to jump away and retaliate with a condensed gust. Garmadon avoided this attack.

Well, he'd been right at least. This was harder than any other sparring match he'd ever had with the monastery's students, or even with the elemental masters. Maybe Wu had been right as well. The ache in Morro's chest was returning- maybe he shouldn't have gone ahead with this so soon after recovering.

Quickly, Morro pushed those thoughts out of his mind. No, he was perfectly able to fight this fight. He'd never forgive himself for losing. If he didn't try harder, though, Garmadon would get the upper hand. Garmadon was a true master—Morro could tell that much. He fought with as much confidence as his Sensei did, but with more viciousness and strength, and he wasn't going to go easy on him like Wu had when they sparred.

The young Master of Wind panted, blinking quickly as he again turned to watch Garmadon. What would his best move be?

Morro jumped up about ten feet as Garmadon launched a few shards of black ice in his direction, clearly meant to pin him down. He knocked them out of the air as he landed again, one hand touching the ground and legs spread in a near split.

Garmadon's attacks were all ranged, except for his staff. If Morro could get a hold of his staff and bring the combat closer... his own kicks and punches were magnified by his element. All Morro had to do was bring him to the ground and hold him there for a few seconds, then he'd won. Wu had taught him to keep his anger contained. That it would do him no good. But now... Looking at this man, the man that had almost killed him, and was now pretending it never happened...

He knew his anger could only make him stronger.

Morro gave a cry and ran head on at Garmadon, avoiding any elemental attacks with reflexes and agility that only a master of wind could possess. Once close enough, he dropped to the ground, swinging his legs in a circle to knock Garmadon's feet out from under him, spinning like a windmill. Not as fast as spinjitzu, but still, rather fast. At first, Garmadon avoided him and attempted to strike at Morro with his staff, but Morro also avoided it. And then, his legs struck something—the staff, not Garmadon. His attack had failed.

That one.

No more.

He rolled out of the way of another strike and jumped to his feet, sending wheels of spinning air in rapid succession toward Garmadon, too wide for him to avoid, too frequent to break all of them. As he continued, eyes blazing, to attack, he saw the master staggering, falling back under the blows. When he had him bowed just a little, Morro leapt feet-first toward him.

His heel struck Garmadon in the shoulder and the man stumbled to his knees. There! Morro had just about won, now to pin him!

He made to reach for the staff, but as he did Garmadon's hand struck out like the head of a serpent from the rocks. His fingers hit the center of Morro's chest, then his stomach, where the green scar was.

Morro gasped. His eyes widened, and suddenly he was icy cold all over. His limbs stopped responding to his brain's commands, and he fell over onto his side, limp.

"Morro!" he heard Wu cry, just as the world began to grow fuzzy. He was turned over onto his back and found himself staring up at the faces of the elemental masters, then they all blurred together into nothingness.


	7. Chapter 6

**Review replies:**

 **ninjachief547 - thank you! and yes, we do have to watch out for that. It can be difficult to get around mistakes sometimes. Thank goodness for spell-check.**

 **guest - I'm glad you like! I've got an end game in mind but not sure how I'll end up getting there, and plans for a sequel after this as well. Not going to give out any spoilers of course.**

 _CHAPTER SIX_

It seemed like his life had repeated itself, as when Morro next regained awareness he was back in the tent that smelled of healing herbs. Only, this time, it was just a little bit different. He wasn't as sore now, nor as disoriented. Rather, he just felt cold and weak. And Wu was here. And he had no shirt on.

Morro turned his head. "Sensei... what happened to me? I was winning... I'd nearly beaten him..." he let his voice trail off as he saw Wu's concerned expression, and his own mirrored it. "What's wrong?"

Wu stepped over to him and helped him to sit up. Wu pulled the blanket back from his chest, and Morro's gaze flickered down to the green scar, which seemed a little larger now.

"Garmadon struck you here," he explained. "I'm sure you know that this mark is here?" he looked up at Morro with a questioning look, and Morro suddenly began to feel as though he were being scrutinized. He gave a small nod, looking once again at the glowing green mark.

"But... what is it? Why did it do that?"

He looked up again just as he heard Wu draw in a breath, and his own brow furrowed. He seemed upset about something... what was it? Why was Wu upset? Morro was beginning to get worried as he hesitated to respond.

"The mark is where you were struck by a curse," he finally told him. "Not just any curse. It is from one that bound your soul to the Cursed Realm." He sighed heavily and seated himself next to his student. Morro looked down at the mark with a worried look in his eyes. It seemed to glow back at him, more sinisterly now.

"Cursed Realm?" he asked. What did that mean?

"Morro, there are sixteen realms that exist parallel to Ninjago. One of these is the Cursed Realm. Some of these realms are only where the dead go, and the Cursed Realm is where the souls of those of the most wicked and vile are sent and imprisoned—or where those who are cursed there end up. Somehow, you were cursed. But you were not sent directly to the realm—for that I am infinitely grateful, because if you were, you would not be able to leave," Wu explained. "I am also relieved that you were rescued from the Caves of Despair."

Morro's brows creased as he sat up. "I... I'm cursed? Can't we undo it?" he asked, a pleading expression in his eyes. No wonder he'd felt so cold all the time. No wonder there was a constant sense that a part of him was dead—because it was true.

Wu looked sad, and shook his head. "I'm afraid not. There is no known way to break the spell, at least not that I know of."

The teen's green eyes went wide and he suddenly looked away. "I..." he stammered, then glanced up at his Sensei. "Can I have a few minutes? By myself... just... to think about this?" Without even seeming to consider it, Wu nodded and took a step back.

"Of course."

Alone now, Morro lay back and stared at the ceiling, hands folded over the green mark on his chest. It took a few moments for the realization to fully sink in of what had happened. He'd been cursed. He'd be trapped in some awful prison for souls when he died, and never be able to escape. There was nothing he could do to change that. Suddenly, and for the first time in his life, Morro was truly afraid. It wasn't just a moment of being startled either, or a brief sinking feeling in the pit of his gut. It was solid, unshakable fear, coursing through his veins along with his blood. He felt a stinging sensation at the corners of his eyes and a few crystalline tears slipped out to run down his cheeks. He'd been cursed. He was doomed. No matter what happened, he'd end up in that awful place eventually.

But at least he knew who was responsible for this. It had to be Garmadon. He'd gone to sleep as usual, and then woken with the cold ache in his bones. Not only had he tried to kill him, but he'd cursed his soul? Why? What had Morro done to him that was so horrible that he deserved this?

The tears began to flow faster now, and before he knew it, Morro had rolled over onto his side and was clutching the soft pillow against his chest, sobbing quietly into it.

After the tears stopped, Morro lay there, limp and unmoving, staring with a vacant expression at the wall of the tent. He was still far from accepting his fate. But at least now he was calm enough to begin to formulate a plan of action. The first thing he needed to do was something he'd needed to do since Garmadon had first arrived at the camp outside of the caves. He needed to get to the bottom of this entire business. He needed to find out why and how he'd been cursed, why Garmadon had decided to kill him. He needed to know if he was planning on trying again.

Once the light outside the tent had dimmed and darkened—now it was night—Morro sat up and slowly got to his feet. He reached for his shirt and robes and pulled them on, covering up the scar from the curse with one last glance at it. He'd do it now.

Casting a quick look around the tent, he spotted a katana and draped the blade in its sheath over his back and shoulders to have it at the ready at a moment's notice. This was just in case Garmadon decided to finish the job while everyone was asleep. Morro wouldn't put it past him to do so. He knew he'd be able to fend him off, though, at least long enough for someone to hear the commotion and come see what was going on. Just so long as he didn't let Garmadon strike his chest again.

He slipped out of the tent, taking a deep breath as he looked across the quiet camp. Aster, the Master of Ice, was standing guard, but he was on the other end of camp and likely wouldn't notice Morro, especially if the Master of Wind was quiet in his movements.

And he was. By the time he reached Garmadon's tent, he glanced back and saw with relief that Aster hadn't even noticed him.

He pushed aside the tent flap and quietly entered. Garmadon was asleep on his cot, his back turned to Morro, his breathing even. How easy it would be to destroy him where he lay... but the thought barely even crossed Morro's mind. That would be thoroughly unproductive. He needed to know things, things that only Garmadon could tell him. Besides that, he wasn't a killer. Morro didn't want to take a life unless he absolutely had no choice.

He took a few steps across the floor, then stopped. Garmadon's breathing changed—Morro knew he was awake now. Good. Better not to completely startle him. He stayed where he was, not taking another step forward, and considered the man lying on the cot for a moment before speaking.

"Why?" he asked, simply. His tone was quiet, but firm.

Garmadon didn't respond, he simply stayed in that position, not moving, though Morro heard his breath hitch for a moment. Then, he slowly shifted into an upright position and turned to look at Morro. His eyes glowed eerily red in the dim lamplight. "Are you here to get your revenge, young Master of Wind?" he asked, raising one eyebrow. "I see you've got your weapon with you."

Morro frowned, and then he slipped the katana from his shoulder and placed it on the ground next to him. "I can reach it faster than you can attack me," he threatened, a serious tone in his voice. "But no. I just want answers. Who are you, really? Why did you want me dead? Why did you curse my soul?"

Garmadon gave a brief, and slightly uncomfortable, laugh. "So, Wu told you that. It's really complicated, and it's a long story, and you should be resting."

"I rested for days after Ray and Maya dragged me out of the caves _you_ sent me into to _die_. I think I can lose a bit of sleep for this," he snapped back bitterly. "I want you to tell me why. I don't want you to stop until you've told me anything. And I want you to tell the truth. If you don't, or if you attack me, then we'll just have to fight again, and this time I know what you know about my weak points. Now, tell me."

The other seemed even more uncomfortable, and sat on the edge of the cot, looking up at Morro. It seemed he figured that position would seem less threatening to the clearly agitated teen. Morro noted this, and mentally encouraged him. It was a good choice. Now, if only Garmadon would just tell him. All Morro wanted was to know why he'd targeted him, why he'd tried to take both his life and afterlife for him—and succeeded in the latter. And he wanted to know if Garmadon knew any way to reverse the spell.

"Fine. I'll tell you. But you have to swear that you won't say a word of this to anyone," Garmadon hissed in a low whisper.

Morro hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Of course. I'll stay quiet." He was glad that the man didn't know just how bad he was at keeping secrets.

"You scared me."

This first admission took Morro aback. His green eyes widened. "I... scared you?" he asked, shocked. "But why? How?"

"You said you were the green ninja," Garmadon looked away. "That's terrifying to me. I don't know my own future, but things that have happened in my past... killing you could possibly save my own life later on. And I wanted to make sure you wouldn't be coming back. That's why I cursed you. Because the only way a soul can leave the Cursed Realm is if the one who sent them there is cursed as well."

Morro crossed his arms over his chest. "If I'm the green ninja and you think my life could put yours in danger, then you must be the dark lord," he accused, narrowing his eyes. "Why are you here with the alliance? What are you planning to do? Are you a spy for the Serpentine? Are you planning to kill us all?" His voice was slowly rising in volume and Garmadon struck a hand out with a hushing noise. The motion caused Morro to reach for his katana, having the blade drawn and in his hand before he could fully realize that Garmadon's motion was merely a request that Morro keep silent. Slowly, the master of wind took a deep breath and bent back down, returning his katana to its sheath. "Go on," he muttered.

Garmadon tilted his head a little. "No. I am not a spy for the Serpentine. I am not planning to kill you. I don't even know for certain that I am the dark lord. All I know is that as a child I was infected with evil, with the venom of the Great Devourer. Since then, every day it has grown stronger and threatens to consume me. I am here with the alliance because I am trying my best to keep it suppressed. Morro, please believe me when I tell you that I regretted what I did to you from the moment that I sent you off on that death mission."

Morro's expression became more hostile. "Regrets and apologies don't remove the curse from my soul, Garmadon. Killing me was one thing. Cursing my afterlife is another thing. It's excessive. If I had died, there would still be no way for me to return. No one has ever come back from the Departed Realm. I don't believe you completely. And I don't forgive you." His features hardened and his fists clenched, gripping the fabric of his sleeves. "If you ever try to kill me or harm me again, I'll tell Wu all you did to me, that everything was your doing. You won't be able to defeat me with just strength and you know it. I'm stronger than I look."

Anger was knotting itself in his stomach and chest. He knew that if he stayed any longer he may just attack Garmadon on the spot. So he bent down, snatched up his katana, and stormed out of the tent, the flap blowing shut with a whistle of wind as he returned to his own tent.


	8. Chapter 7

_CHAPTER SEVEN_

The next few days were spent sulking in his tent. Though, Morro wouldn't have called it sulking, rather, thinking about how utterly miserable he was. And in his mind he had every reason to feel that way. He was still coming to terms with the fact that his soul had been cursed, and that there was no way to undo it, and that someday, no matter how long he lived, he would end up in the Cursed Realm.

Thinking about it too hard seemed to activate something that made him go cold again. Or maybe that was just his imagination, and just thinking about it reminded him of the awful feeling. Morro really wasn't sure, and he really didn't care.

After he had accepted his fate—or as much as he could accept something so horrible—he resolved to make the best of it, and that meant protecting the weak point in his chest. Finally, he left the tent and approached Ray, lightly tapping his arm. When the Master of Fire turned around, Morro cleared his throat. "I... you're a blacksmith, right?" he asked. "I was wondering if you'd be able to make me a piece of light armor to cover my chest. As light as you can make it, just so that it protects it."

Ray gave him a sympathetic look. "Sure, I'll be able to make that as soon as we can get to a forge. I'm... sorry about that. Wu told us what happened."

Morro pressed his lips together and looked away. "Yeah. I'd rather not talk about it if that's alright?"

The other nodded. "Of course"

"Thanks," Morro told him, then he turned and walked off. A part of him told himself that he should do some training, but then there was the part that told him not to bother. He had nearly defeated Garmadon and could do it again. Why train when there was nothing left to test him? Morro was too good at what he did. He was too in tune with his elemental powers. Nevermind that he hadn't reached his true potential or yet mastered Spinjitzu more than the very basics, he didn't need either of those things.

Why had he not yet been named the Green Ninja? Wasn't he just about the greatest warrior alive? Or maybe now he'd never be, since his soul was cursed. But if he became the Green Ninja he would be completely invincible... he'd never have to worry about being killed.

"Morro, would you come here for a moment?" the boy looked up to see that Aster, the aging Master of Ice, had called him from where he was sharpening his shurikens, beckoning with one hand. Slightly curious, Morro approached. "Sit down," Aster instructed. Morro complied, glancing sideways at him.

"What is it?"

Aster met his eyes. "I watched your fight with Garmadon. You did very, very well," he said. "It is as though you've taken your father's strengths without his weaknesses." He was almost oblivious to Morro's eyes widening as the young boy leaned forward just a bit.

"My... my father?" he asked, quietly. "You know him?"

Aster frowned. "I knew him. We fought together in one of the wars many years ago. He joined the fight about halfway through, and we stood back to back on several occasions. He and I were brothers in arms."

Morro was stunned. He didn't know what to say, how to react. He couldn't remember anything about his parents, at times he'd even wondered if he had parents. But now that he knew that he did, a knot of anger began to form in the pit of his stomach. His expression turned stormy, and he glared at the ground for a few seconds. Then, he looked back up at Aster. "So... if you knew him so well did he ever tell you that he had a son that he just... left? Because I don't even remember him. He was gone before I was three years old, at least that's what the neighbors that would bring me food said. Did he ever tell you he'd just left me to fend for myself?"

He could hear his own voice rising in pitch, but he was angry. He was so angry. The wind in the trees picked up, the leaves clattering against one another with a rustle-rustle noise. His black hair whipped to one side and his fists clenched tightly. And yet, despite all this he felt something sting in his eyes and a lump forming in his throat.

He felt Aster's hands on his shoulders, the touch calming, and yet unwanted. His head whipped around. "No," he snapped. "I don't want to talk about this." He stood abruptly, pulling away and swiftly walking off. He gave an upward glance and with a few gusts of wind he'd blown himself up to the branch of a tree. There, he leaned back against the trunk and gazed at the sky through the waving branches as the breeze created by his anger began to die down. The clouds drifted by overhead, white and fluffy and cheerful. They were so unbothered by the events transpiring below. All of Morro's distress was nothing to them. His angry wind hadn't changed their motion at all. He gave a heavy sigh and closed his eyes again. There was a natural breeze now. Feeling it against his skin made him feel calmer, in harmony with nature. It made him feel just a little bit better. And so time ticked by as he sat in the tree in silent meditation. He barely even thought. For the first time since he'd left the monastery—no, for the first time almost since he'd heard of the green ninja prophecy—he was relatively calm and tranquil.

Honestly he didn't know why. Because after the sun had set he descended from the tree and returned to his tent, but then as he lay in bed his mind went to that brief and disastrous conversation with Aster again.

His father... it felt odd to even think of that. The closest thing to a father that Morro had ever had was Wu. And whoever his real father was... well, he was dead now. It wouldn't matter. He'd never care about the son he left as practically a baby, without even caring what happened to him. Morro closed his eyes and tried to sleep. When he finally drifted off, his sleep was plagued with nightmares. Morro had often fallen prey to them of late, it was something he was used to by now.

 _It started in a large, empty house. The furnishings were minimal and the rooms vast, like a cathedral—or at least so it had seemed to Morro as a small boy alone in the world. There was a ring at the doorbell, and he quietly crept off of the couch, a tattered blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He opened the door and looked up to see Garmadon standing there, a massive weapon in his hands. Morro suddenly felt cold and gasped, trying to shut the door, but his hand phased through it. Garmadon laughed._

 _The boy looked down with wide eyes—he was transparent, he could see the floor through his feet! He was a ghost... he looked back up at Garmadon with fear in his eyes, and then ran out into the village streets, nearly being hit by carriages. When he opened his eyes again he found himself in a camp, with a silver-haired man sitting next to the fire. He looked like Aster, but not quite._

 _"_ _Father!" Morro heard his voice calling out, and he ran toward the man involuntarily. He still refused to look at the ghost-boy. "Father, please talk to me! Why did you leave!? Why did you leave me?!" he shouted._

 _It was as though the man didn't even hear him. Finally, after several moments, he uttered "I have no son. I never had one."_

 _"_ _No!" Morro yelled, clenching his ghostly fists. The world began spinning around him, enveloping him in swirls of green and dark violet. He heard voices amidst the whirlwind, and curled in on himself, covering his ears._

 _"_ _You'll never be the green ninja. You'll never be anything. No one ever wanted you," a voice hissed. Morro screamed, curling up more tightly._

 _"_ _That's not true! That's not true!" he yelled._

"That's not true..." he was murmuring in his sleep, tossing and turning. Wu stood next to his bed, struggling with whether or not to try to wake him. The boy's face was scrunched up and for once he didn't seem like the ninja warrior that he had been trained as, but rather what he was—just a little boy. Wu closed his eyes. Morro had been like a son to him, and he'd let him down. He reached out a hand, resting it on his shoulder.

"Morro... wake up, it's only a dream." He said softly but firmly. It took a few tries, but finally his eyes flew open with a gasp and he quickly sat up.

His first instinct was to reach out and grip the side of the bed, to assure himself he was solid. Once he realized it had just been a nightmare, he calmed down enough to look Wu in the eye for a moment. His lip trembled and he closed his eyes again. The lump in his throat was almost choking him as every instinct screamed for him to burst into tears on the spot and throw himself into Wu's arms, which had comforted him from his nightmares before, when he was younger.

But he didn't. Morro strengthened his resolve, turning his head to one side and pulling his blanket up around him. He couldn't let himself become close to his Sensei again. Not when he hadn't found the tomb. Not when he'd disappoint him just as much as Wu had disappointed _him_.

"I'm fine," he muttered in a low voice that was hoarse from his dream-tears, and from those in the real world that had trickled down his cheeks. "It was just a dream, like you said. I'm going to try to go back to sleep."

He looked away so he wouldn't see the disappointed expression he knew was on Wu's face now. He couldn't think of that. It would all be worth it in the end. He'd prove his nightmares wrong. He'd find the tomb. He'd become the green ninja. He'd find a way to remove the curse from his soul. Then everything would be alright. He could go back to the monastery with his Sensei.

But for tomorrow at least, he had something else to do. He needed to find out more about who he really was.


	9. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

"Aster, I shouldn't have blown up at you like that yesterday," Morro's words were unsteady—he was unused to apologizing. It just wasn't something he did on a regular basis, considering the fact that he was right most of the time and only ever rarely in the wrong. Admitting his own faults came very, very hard to him.

The master of ice looked up at him, and smiled, resting his hand on his shoulder. "It is alright, Morro. I understand why you did," he explained.

Morro took a deep breath, swallowing as he looked at him. "I... I want to know about my father," he said quietly. "It's... well, I was fine up until now, but now that I can get answers, I need them."He sat down, lacing his fingers tightly together. "I promise I won't act like I did yesterday."

If there was one saving grace about his personality, it was that he didn't break his promises. The day he broke a promise would be the day he lost hope in himself.

Aster gave a nod and leaned back. "Well, first of all, his name was Sirocco. Second, you look absolutely nothing like him, except for that peculiar streak of green in your hair," he pointed toward it and Morro involuntarily reached up and fingered it, twirling it slightly. It was one of the things he liked most about his appearance, this clump of hair. He'd even gone so far as to rub in a chemical to make it brighter at one point. It was as though it marked him as the green ninja. Of course it didn't, but thinking of it that way made Morro feel a little better.

"Sirocco," he repeated. "So what _did_ he look like?"

"His hair was silver, though it was not from age," Aster explained. "He was tall, much taller than you, probably close to Wu and Garmadon's height, maybe just a little shorter. His eyes were the brightest blue I've ever seen." He paused for a minute. "He wore a gi that was styled a lot like yours, but that's just because it was designed for wind elementals."

Morro nodded. "Yes, that is what Sensei told me when he got me my first elemental gi. He said there was a different sort for different elements... I had no idea there were other elemental masters, though, I'd never met any. I kind of... assumed that the other elemental masters had died or vanished. Sensei made it sound that way anyway, he was so surprised when he found out I could control the wind."

Aster grinned. "Hold on, Morro, I thought you wanted me to talk to you. But yes, there are others. However, you were also right. Most elemental masters had vanished, or didn't even know they had elemental powers. Sirocco and I knew, though. We met at a war camp, more than thirteen years ago. He was young and fresh, but he was smart and capable. Still, I do remember him being extraordinarily clumsy."He gave a slight chuckle, seeming to be remembering something, and shook his head as he looked toward the boy. "That also seems to be different between you."

Morro's eyebrows rose and he gave a slight laugh. "Ha... it is. I've never been super strong, but I've always been fast and agile. I couldn't afford to be clumsy."

"Yes, Sirocco and I met when he ran into me, knocking my tea from my hands. He was so nervous... poor man," he continued. "Fortunately for him I didn't mind, and we started talking. We became close through battles and lonely nights watching the camp."

A frown crossed Morro's face. "He was... normal? He wasn't evil or crazy?" he asked.

Aster shook his head sadly. "No, of course not. I would have never guessed he had abandoned his infant son. He was a perfectly friendly and wonderful person."

Again, Morro's expression grew downcast and almost stormy. Why? How could he just up and leave his son and then go off and act completely normal? Maybe something was wrong with Morro, maybe he didn't deserve to have family. Why, though? Was he defective somehow? Why was destiny so strongly against him? "Oh. I see," he finally muttered quietly.

The comforting hand returned to his shoulder.

"I only knew him for three years while we fought together," he said. "He was easily scared, and yet he had more courage than I could have imagined. But even the bravest meet their end someday. We were fighting a battle one day against a horde of pirates. Sirocco and I stood back to back, but when I was about to be shot, he leapt in front of me and took the bullet. I managed to take him off the battlefield, but the wound was fatal." Aster fell silent, and Morro turned to look at him.

"Go on," he pushed.

The man gave a deep sigh. "As he was dying, I stayed with him. Just before he passed, he opened his mouth and said, 'tell my son I'm sorry.'" He leaned back and watched Morro's face for a reaction, but the boy's expression remained completely impassive. When Morro didn't respond, he went on. "Up until you were found, I wondered if he'd gone mad before his death—he'd never said anything about a son. But then Ray and Maya found you."

"Me," Morro repeated, a hint of a scoff in his voice. "Well, it was nice of him to care, but apologies aren't worth anything. The damage has already been done." He crossed his arms, looking away, brows creased and eyes narrowed.

"You know that's not true," Aster protested. "After all, you apologized for blowing up at me yesterday." He made a movement to place his hand on Morro's shoulder but stopped himself, knowing that a move light that could possibly set the poor boy off again. The master of ice understood, though. He'd been through a lot over the past few weeks, it was only reasonable for him to be a little agitated and upset at all of this. "And that apology did mean something to me, you know."

Morro made a slight face. "That's... that's different. It's a small thing, it's not like... abandoning a toddler." He crossed his arms more tightly across his chest and took in a deep breath before releasing it slowly and counting to eight. He'd always gotten agitated easily, and Wu had taught him that as a calming technique. It usually worked, and kept things from getting destroyed in an emotionally-induced windstorm.

He really didn't know why he'd gone ahead and asked about Sirocco—he would never call the man that had vanished before he could remember his father. He was just another man, one that Morro never would have recognized as anyone but a stranger on the streets. He was nothing to him. That was alright, though—it wasn't as though Morro had ever needed a father. He was perfectly fine on his own.

Evidently, it seemed to Aster that leaving the boy to brood wasn't a good idea, because after a few more moments of silence, he stood up. "Come, Morro, I want you to train with me. I should hope I'd at least pose a challenge, and hopefully a friendlier one than Garmadon."

Morro looked up at him and didn't say a word, but he nodded, standing up and following Aster to the training area. He took a stance, standing across from the older man. "Do you want to strike first?" he asked.

"I don't mind if I do," the man replied, extending his arm. Several shards of ice—obviously blunted—flew in Morro's direction. The young master of wind brought up a gusty shield with his hands, letting the projectiles fall to the ground. Then he brought his arms down. Aster had left his fighting stance and was approaching him. Morro cocked his head in confusion. He'd thought they were training.

"Would you mind if I show you a few of your father's techniques?" he asked. "Or rather, tell you, as I am not master of wind."

Morro hesitated. He thought over it for a few minutes. He knew that he hated his father, so would he really want to fight like him? All the same, there could be good things to learn from this. It could help him become the greatest master in all of Ninjago. In the end, he turned to Aster and nodded. "Fine," he told him. "Just don't expect me to be like him. I don't want to be like him."

Aster gave a bow of his head in response. "Of course, Morro," he told him. "Now, Sirocco and I fought in many battles together. The sizes of both armies were unlike anything you've ever seen. They fought with every manner of weapon imaginable, including bows and throwing stars. These airborne weapons were often the most deadly, as they didn't need to get close to us. Sirocco, however, turned their advantage against them. Rather than simply stopping the flight of the arrows, he would halt them and send them flying back toward the enemy." He grinned slightly. "Quite ingenious, I think. You have to admit it is clever to discover a way to take down your enemy with his own weapons."

Finally, Morro gave a small snort. "I think I'd figure that out eventually. I didn't exactly do a lot of real fighting at Wu's monastery. I'm new at this whole deadly combat thing."

Aster nodded. "Of course. Now, would you like to try that?"

Morro went back into position and set up his hands, envisioning how he would warp the air currents to get the desired effect, how he would flip the projectile before sending it back. It was simple and would most likely work flawlessly. While he wasn't good at everything, he was very good at using his elemental powers. He'd been a sort of prodigy in that way. Of course, that was only natural for the future green ninja. He went through the motions in his head once more, before giving Aster a tilt of his head.

"Ready."

As the projectiles came his way, he stopped them, holding them as wind surrounded them. The tip of his tongue protruded from his mouth as he flipped them over. This was just like flying his kite. He had to be precise. Of course, he'd only ever flown one kite, not three at once.

Finally, he pushed one hand forward, sending them flying back toward Aster.

"Very good!" he nodded as he stepped aside, allowing the little ice knives to embed themselves in the soft wood of the target behind him.

They went on for a few hours. By the time they'd finished, Morro felt satisfied—at least for a moment. He'd learned several new techniques and had succeeded in all of them. It made him feel a little better, and it made him forget about his father. The only downside was that the activity had caused his chest to begin to ache again and he edged close to the campfire that evening to keep warm. Though, outside warmth wasn't as effective on that agonizing icy-cold feeling of nothingness that was once again threatening to overtake him.

"Morro," Wu's voice was gentle as he touched his student's shoulders. "You are exhausted. You need some sleep, please go."

Morro blinked tiredly, looking up at him. "It's not that," his voice was a little hoarse. "It's the scar... it's the curse... Sensei, I don't want to be cursed."

Wu paused for a moment, and then sat down next to him, putting his arms around the boy. "All will end well, Morro," he said softly. "Just believe in that."

Morro tensed at first, and then relaxed, leaning his head against Wu's shoulder. "I hope so. But somehow I don't think it will. It never does."He sighed heavily, then closed his eyes, shifting slightly so that he was nestled against Wu's shoulder. "Still, I missed you. A lot," he admitted. And even though it was dark and his eyes were closed, he could almost imagine Wu's face crinkling into a smile as he responded.

"Morro," the teen felt his fingers pull his slightly unruly black hair back from his face. "Things haven't ended well because it isn't the end yet." He gave him a little squeeze. "Now, come on. It's time you get some rest. We're moving on tomorrow to retake Jamanakai village."


	10. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

As the sun's first rays began to peek over the trees, Morro was awake. He'd been tired and sluggish the night before, but now that he'd rested, that the cold had receded from his chest, he was active, awake, and excited. Though he had to admit he was just the slightest bit nervous about all of this. He'd never really fought in an actual battle, despite all of his years of training.

As the future green ninja, Morro would need to know how to fight in real battles, though. This would be a good experience for him. Morro knew he was a fast learner—one battle like this and he'd be able to handle the rest for certain. The only thing he was worried most about was fighting to kill. Taking a life was something Morro had barely ever considered. Really, most of his moves had concentrated around self-defense, and though he could wield weaponry he'd not thought about using it lethally.

This would be a new experience. In the pale morning light, Morro left his tent and sat on a rock, looking up at the sky as it changed from dull gray to hues of pink, blue, and orange. The light sparkled on the dew and fading fog. Morro heard the sound of approaching footsteps and turned to see Wu. His sensei took a seat next to him.

"You're up early," he said quietly.

Morro nodded. "Yes. I'm trying to prepare for the battle."

"You do know, you don't have to fight if you don't want to," Wu responded. "You can stay at the camp—"

"No," Morro cut him off. "I'm not staying behind. I'm going to be the green ninja, I need to know how to fight battles."

Wu didn't respond this time, and Morro glanced up to see that he was looking at the ground, seeming to be deeply upset. "Very well, then," he finally said, "You'll come with us. Morro, I don't want you to be hurt. You've already been hurt enough."

Morro clenched his teeth slightly. "And whose fault is that?" the rhetorical question escaped him in a harsh whisper before he could stop himself, and then hurriedly he looked up at Wu, who was clearly stung and upset by the comment. "Sensei, I... I didn't mean to..." he began, with wide eyes.

Wu stood. "I know you are angry, Morro," he said, "But I wish that you would remember that, no matter what, I still care about you and love you very much. None of it matters, the prophecy, the weapons. You don't need to prove yourself to me."

"You're wrong, Sensei. I do," Morro stated. "Even if you say you don't care, I do. I care a lot. And I'm not going to fail. Someday I'll find the tomb, then you'll know that I'm worthy to be the green ninja. Until then... just assume that you're not going to change my mind." Now he stood up. He didn't meet Wu's eyes. "I think you should probably wake the others. I'll make something for breakfast." He turned to walk off.

Morro didn't know why he kept talking to Wu that way. But he was angry at him. He was furious that Wu didn't believe in him. It had hurt him so deeply, and now he just couldn't help it. The anger found its ways out.

He stirred the dying embers of the campfire with a gust of wind, coaxing the flames back to life. Morro knew how to cook, and he thought himself pretty good at it. But that was only when he had things to cook. There were some supplies, certainly, but it was really a bare minimum—it made perfect sense for them to be going to retake the village. They'd certainly be able to restock things, besides having the village as a base. Morro hadn't been to Jamanakai village since he was a child on the streets. Vaguely, he wondered what had changed as he began to prepare a pot of porridge, sweetening it slightly. It was one of the only things they had left. As it boiled, he tucked himself into the berry bushes on one side of the camp, picking them and filling up his shirt as he turned back.

The camp was stirring around him, some more quickly than others, and he removed the pot from the fire, blowing dirt over the flames to smother them. Some of those in the camp were starting to pack things up to prepare for the march to the village. Ray was sharpening a sword. When he saw Morro tucking the berries onto trays and dipping out bowls of the porridge, he approached him.

"Hey, I managed to whip up a little something to protect that spot on your chest," he told him, holding up a small metal plate attached to leather straps. "It isn't much, and I'll make you a proper bit of armor when I have a real forge, but it should help for today anyway."

Morro looked up, setting the ladle down and taking the piece, inspecting it a little bit. It was curved slightly, to keep pressure from striking the scar. He glanced up at Ray. "Thank you," he said quietly. "This will work wonderfully. I'd almost forgotten the danger this posed."

Ray smiled. "Glad to help. Good luck."

Morro nodded in response. "Here, have some breakfast before we head out." He held out a bowl of berry-garnished porridge, which the master of fire took readily.

Once all of the food was dished out and distributed, Morro went back to his tent, fitting the armor piece over his chest. It settled just right. Experimentally, he gave it a strike with his hand. It hurt a little, but it didn't send that paralyzing cold into his chest. He smiled a little bit. He rather liked Ray, he'd decided. The man was kind, and seemed to treat Morro almost like an equal—a feeling that the boy enjoyed immensely.

He peered into the mirror, running his fingers along the plate, then draping his half-cloak over it, then pausing. He turned his head to the side, letting his pale digits brush the burn scar. It had healed over for the most part and was now covered with a scab. It itched a lot, but was better than the agonizing pain of the angry red skin. Though now it seemed to look even worse. It still hurt a lot if he thought about it too much.

Morro sighed, wondering if it was too much to hope for that Garmadon would be killed in the fight as revenge. Most likely it was. Besides that, it would grieve Wu, he was certain. While he was angry at his Sensei, he didn't wish to hurt him. Though, if Garmadon attacked him ever again, Morro knew he wouldn't hesitate.

They finished packing up the camp, settling the tents and supplies in packs over their shoulders, and began the trek to the first village conquered by the Serpentine. Morro stayed near the back, taking in the scenery around him, looking for any sign of a place the tomb could be located. It was pretty hard, though, considering the fact that he had absolutely no idea where to start. Eventually he simply gave up and kept walking. They went on all morning, and stopped to eat a quick lunch of sandwiches, and then continued.

Morro was tiring once more as the afternoon sun began to paint the sky, turning it from blue to myriads of colors. He didn't really look up at the sunset. His feet were dragging, his eyelids drooping. He'd never gotten so tired so easily before that awful curse had been put on his soul.

He felt Wu's hand on his shoulder—he knew it was him, it had a certain firm but gentle grip.

"We're nearly at the village now. Take a drink."

Morro took the offered canteen, sipping from it. Even after all the times Morro had yelled at him, Wu was still treating him almost like his own son. It was baffling him. Not that he was complaining... it was just... just so odd.

"Thank you," he replied after a bit. "Why am I so tired?"

"The curse has weakened you," Wu responded sadly. "It will take time for you to get used to it, and after that you will be stronger."

Morro pressed his lips together. "I hate it. Just thinking about it... it gives me such awful thoughts and dreams..."

"I know. We will try to find a way to remove it, I promise you," Wu told him. "Perhaps Garmadon knows where we can start looking..."

"No, Sensei, it's alright," Morro said hurriedly. Garmadon had been the one who had put the curse on him in the first place. He didn't want him to have anything to do with him. Wu gave him an odd look, but Morro quickly settled his expression. No matter how sincere Garmadon's apology had been, Morro wouldn't trust him. Apologies didn't really matter, after all. What people did mattered. An apology was just some horrible and pathetic attempt to undo damage that couldn't be undone. Even if Garmadon suddenly became the nicest person that Morro had ever met—which was highly unlikely—Morro would never forget that he'd tried to kill him. He'd never forget that he'd doomed him to an afterlife in the Cursed Realm—a place whose horrors Morro couldn't even begin to imagine.

Without noticing, he reached up and wiped a few tears on his sleeve. He didn't like this uncertainty, this fear. Morro had never been afraid before. He didn't like it now. He had to be fearless to be the green ninja, he had to be invincible...

Wu's hand on his shoulder tightened in a gentle grip. "Morro, we've stopped," he said gently. "Come, let's get your tent set up."

"No!" he snapped, once again immediately regretting it. He looked away, his gaze finding the ground. "I'll be fine putting it up myself." He turned and walked away, blinking away tears. Why was everything going wrong? Certainly, Wu had disappointed him, but he hadn't done anything but been kind to Morro, even after Morro had repeatedly shunned him. So why was he still so snappish?

Morro dropped his tent and bedroll on the ground in a spot a little bit away from the others, taking a moment to sit on it and scuff his feet on the ground. A part of him wanted to go apologize, but then when he looked up and saw Wu and Garmadon sitting together on a large rock, laughing and talking, he remembered that apologies didn't do any good. And if Wu had already forgiven him, what use was there in apologizing anyway?

The day died in all of its glory, and Morro finished setting up his tent, crawling inside and curling up on his bedroll. Only then did he remember the cause of his earlier anxiety—the looming battle itself. The lights of Jamanakai village could be seen in the distance, and as the light faded the fire had been put out to keep the sentries from spotting them. They would be attacking in the morning.

Morro tried hard to sleep, really he did. He was exhausted from walking all day. But he couldn't sleep. His thoughts had strayed from the fight only to return now. Tomorrow, he could very well die. And it was what came after that that was terrifying him most of all.

 _ **AUTHOR's NOTE: So, this chapter was originally going to include the battle for Jamanakai village, but I ended up spending too much time on Morro and Wu's relationship and making it a shorter chapter. So, NEXT chapter you can look forward to the battle, and a much longer chapter. Thanks to everyone reading and please leave me reviews!**_ _-Valkyrie_


	11. Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

The air was filled with a rustle of robes and a clatter of weapons and armor. Morro stood surrounded by the other elemental masters. It was almost stifling as they marched toward the village. That morning, Wu had instructed him on the abilities of the Serpentine they would be fighting. It seemed more dangerous now, and Morro was getting increasingly more nervous as he walked. He brought his hand up in front of him and set a little breeze blowing about his face to dry the beads of sweat already forming on his forehead.

While the others might be afraid of dying, Morro knew very well that it wasn't the same. Not with what he knew would happen to him. At least he had concentrated on defense a lot in his training... he took a deep breath. The village was approaching, and he could already see the Serpentine who occupied it gathering.

 _Don't make eye contact with a Hypnobrai. Don't let a Fangpyre bite you. Constrictai can burrow, Anacondrai can turn invisible._

Morro took a deep breath. That didn't make him feel much better.

The air around them was still. Morro's shoulders were tense and he tried desperately to regulate his breathing. He was scared. Already he was barely able to keep it together. He didn't want to die. He really didn't even want to fight. But he had to learn how to battle if he were to be the green ninja. Maybe this was a final test of some sort, maybe if he came through the battle and showed his bravery, the weapons would change their minds. That sort of thing happened, didn't it?

With these thoughts in his mind, Morro felt just a little bit better. He rubbed a circular pattern on the ties of his belt. A hundred yards, fifty... then they stood at the village's gates. The serpentine had assembled just outside. Morro was near the back of the alliance's lines, Wu and Garmadon at the front. The fight began all of a sudden. Morro didn't know what exactly broke the silence and anticipation, but it broke, and when it did a flurry of activity began as all of the elements united against this foe.

Noise filled the air as earth rumbled and lightning crackled and fire burned. Morro's eyes were wide as he looked around himself in the rising dust.

Now he suddenly realized that he was still very much a child. And now he knew why children didn't fight in wars. He spun in circles, trying to see where to strike or what to do, just as a Constrictai warrior broke through the ground in front of him.

"Ah!" he screamed, jumping back and pumping a few gusts of wind as he backflipped, knocking the snake away from its move to attack him. Unfortunately, that was only the beginning. As soon as Morro landed, he became more of a target. Evidently they saw him as at least a partial threat now. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, he really didn't know. All he knew was that he was glad he'd spent so much time training. It was hard to tell which of the serpentine was which in the thick of battle, with three approaching him at once from different sides. He knew the colors of their scales, but his mind was almost drawing a blank as he spun around, sending gust after gust toward the Serpentine, sending them flying backwards and away from him.

Panting, Morro anchored himself and stretched his arms out, whipping the air around him into a cyclone and knocking the snakes aside. When he let the wind die down, he saw that a few of them were lying where they'd fallen, lacking the will to rise, while the others were struggling to get back to their feet. Morro looked around and spotted Wu taking on several of them.

He turned and began to dart toward him, but not before a massive Serpentine slithered in front of him, blocking his path. Morro let out another cry and shot upward, briefly staring at the chaos beneath him with wide eyes before plummeting, fists first, toward the Serpentine warrior. His attack struck the creature in the head and he fell and didn't rise again. Morro tumbled when he landed, rolling to take the impact as he stood back to his feet—one couldn't be lying around in the middle of a battle.

He looked up. Wu had moved from his place. Morro needed to get to his Sensei, he needed to fight alongside someone. Suddenly he realized that all that talk of teamwork had been true—it was better with a team. Wu would be that, Morro knew it.

Morro glanced around, finally catching sight of him, and began to run toward him again, keeping a watch for any Serpentine that dared to stop him.

Too late, he noticed something like a hissing spit, and something bright green and stinging sprayed all over his face. Morro dropped to the ground with a yelp, covering his head. About a second later, he gasped. He'd forgotten the Venomari. Morro closed his eyes, knowing that if he opened them, he'd only hallucinate.

Unfortunately, at the sound of movement he couldn't help himself. When he looked up, the world was swirling and distorted, a massive snake towering above him with poison dripping from its fangs. Morro gave a scream and hid his face, edging away. His eyes were wide as the Serpentine and Elemental Masters morphed into terrifying monsters before his eyes. One of them stood next to him and seemed like they were about to slap him with a noodle. Then, he felt someone gripping his shoulders, pulling him out of the way.

"Hold on, kid," a voice spoke in his ear. Morro felt his blood run cold. He recognized the voice.

"Let... let go of me!" he yelled, swinging his arms to try to get away. Once he managed to free himself from Garmadon's grip, he spun around, his eyes widening as he looked at the man before him. Garmadon was taller, his face dark, his eyes red, and his teeth pointed. Morro gasped, and sent several gusts of wind toward him, which Garmadon managed to avoid. "Get... get away! Go away from me!" he shouted, turning to run into the battle only to be grabbed again and pulled alongside a building by Garmadon.

"I'm not going to hurt you!" the man insisted, and tied a cloth over his eyes. Morro was panting, shaking as his vision was blocked.

"What... what are you doing?!" he cried.

"Trying to help you. You'll never be any good in this fight if everything's distorted. I'll tell you where to strike."

"But why... wouldn't you want me dead?!" Morro's voice was shrill and terrified. Now everything was dark, he could hear the sounds of battle, but he couldn't see it. He'd never been more afraid in his entire life. Now he knew what it felt like.

"I'm sorry for everything I did to you, I couldn't help it. But now I'm trying to help," Garmadon replied. "Come on, I won't let you get hurt. And like this, at least you're immune to the Hypnobrai's powers!"

Morro wasn't sure if he wanted to trust Garmadon, but he was blindfolded and hallucinating and in the middle of a battle—if Garmadon was going to let him die, he'd die either way. Finally, he made a decision to take a risk at the chance of his survival. "Fine, I'll come with you. But Sensei will be upset if anything happens to me," he threatened.

The hands returned to his shoulders. "Nothing will," Garmadon insisted. Morro wrinkled his nose. He still felt a little dizzy and unsteady, but with his eyes covered the worst of the effects were gone. Hesitantly, he moved forward alongside Garmadon, and halted when the man halted.

"Press your back against mine and keep it there," Garmadon instructed him, and as much as he disliked it, Morro did as he said. He was panting a little, nervously holding his hands in front of him.

"To your right!" Garmadon shouted, and Morro sent a gust of wind, hearing it collide with a body. "Left, then right in front of you."

This went on. Morro kept his back pressed against Garmadon's listening to his commands and following them, barely even considering the fact that Garmadon was most likely facing away from him. Thus far, Morro was staying alive, and that was really all that mattered right then.

The fight was exhausting. Morro's ears were ringing. His head was spinning. He didn't know how much longer he could go on. His hands continued pumping in and out, desperately pushing the attackers back. After a while he barely even heard Garmadon's instructions any more. Every time he heard someone approaching he knocked them back.

Then it happened. His back left Garmadon's, and they were pulled away from one another by the ebb and flow of the battle. Morro felt the flat side of a blade strike his shoulder, knocking him to the ground.

No, this couldn't be happening. He was the green ninja, he couldn't be beaten that easily. He could defeat these pathetic snakes! He'd defeat the dark lord someday (though if it was just Garmadon it probably wouldn't be that hard).

Morro scrambled to his feet and clenched his fists at his side. There was a whistling sound in his ears as a cyclone formed around him. His black hair stung his face over and over again. He was panting for breath, his chest was aching, and he was starting to feel cold again. But he kept up the cyclone, until he could hear nothing besides the wind. Then, he released it. He knew that the elemental masters would suffer, but hopefully it would put the snakes on the run, if nothing else.

The only problem with this was that he instantly began to feel very weak after he released the wind. And the sound of approaching footsteps told him that he'd be attacked soon.

Better distorted than invisible. Morro pulled the blindfold from his head and looked around. The swirling, terrifying forms of the serpentine were surrounding him yet again. He didn't know what to do other than to just keep fighting. He panted, clearly running out of energy as he kept throwing gusts of air at the snakes. It was only when he heard Wu's voice that he actually paused to think.

"Morro, Morro stop!" he cried. "It's over, we've driven out the Serpentine!"

Morro's eyes went wide and he turned a circle. "But Sensei, they're all around me!" he yelped. "I can't... they're everywhere!"

He cowered as one of the snakes reached out and took him by the shoulders before tucking him against its chest.

"Close your eyes, Morro," came Wu's voice, from where the Serpentine's head should have been. "You're still hallucinating. We've won. You were very brave, especially after you were sprayed with the Venomari poison."

Slowly, Morro's muscles began to relax, but as they did, his breathing picked up speed and his heart raced, sending stabs of pain through him with every pound of the wounded organ. "It's... over?" he asked, weakly. Tremors began to take over him, starting in his legs and moving up throughout the whole body until he was shaking too hard to hold himself upright. He stumbled, and Wu caught him.

"It is," he insisted. "It's over. Come, Morro. We had best find you a place to stay until the venom wears off."

Morro nodded, taking a few shaky breaths as he pulled his blindfold back over his eyes. "It's over," he repeated. There was the sound of yet another set of approaching footsteps. And Garmadon's voice spoke up.

"Morro, you're alright," it wasn't excited, nor was it upset, but it was rather neutral and... maybe a little hesitant?

He bobbed his head once again. "Yeah... I think," he replied. The brothers each placed a hand on Morro's shoulders and brought him inside. He heard them paying a newly freed innkeeper for a room, then was directed into what was presumably that room.

"Here, Morro," Wu instructed. "Rest a while. Come find us when your sight returns to normal."

"Alright," he responded quietly. "Sensei? Thanks... and you too, Garmadon."

Once the two had left him alone, he felt for the edge of his bed and sat down before lying back. The way Garmadon had acted in battle was so strange... why had he been so set on helping Morro? Wouldn't it have been good for him if Morro had died? At least then he'd never have to fight him.

But no. Garmadon had very specifically helped him to stay alive. As he lay on his back, staring at the ceiling as it morphed into different colors, he began to not hate Garmadon as strongly as before. That utter and complete hatred was replaced by confusion, and by curiosity. Who was he even, anyway? He was a puzzle, that much was for sure. Maybe Morro would be able to solve it someday.


End file.
